Attention all Knifemakers!.....Product dealers/retailers and/or knife makers/sharpeners/hobbyists (etc) are not permitted to insert business related text/videos/images (company/company name/product references) and/or links into your signature line, your homepage url (within the homepage profile box), within any posts, within your avatar, nor anywhere else on this site. Market research (such as asking questions regarding or referring to products/services that you make/offer for sale or posting pictures of finished projects) is prohibited. These features are reserved for supporting vendors and hobbyists.....Also, there is no need to announce to the community that you are a knifemaker unless you're trying to sell something so please refrain from sharing.
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Back Door Business

There's a lot of back door business being conducted here at KKF where some members are taking advantage of the system being paid for by contributing vendors & hobbyists.

I have implemented a policy that will place any member known to be doing business here into a usergroup that restricts them from the use of the PM system and possibly the email system as well.

If you find yourself in this group then you have a choice to make if you want to continue to do business here - apply to become a hobbyist, pro craftsman/vendor - but do not expect to be here taking orders and selling products for free while other members pay for the privilege.

I'm sorry for having to do this but it's truly shameful the amount of knifemakers who have used (or attempted to use) KKF and for having to force this sort of thing unto the community here.

If you're in this group and wish to discuss the matter please feel free to email me and I'll be happy to discuss the matter with you but please do not try to change my mind or explain what other forums do or what you expect you are owed because I will not answer those emails.

Charlotte, NC AKA The Queen City! The lint-filled belly button of the south.

Posts

2,995

That sucks. IMO there is no way you guys could ever charge enough to make it profitable enough for yourselves considering all the hard work and care that goes into these knives and handles etc. It is not cool to take advantage of all the hard working paying craftsmen and vendors.

"See... the problem here is that... my little brother, this morning, got his arm caught in the microwave, and uh... my grandmother dropped acid and she freaked out, and hijacked a school bus full of... penguins, so it's kind of a family crisis... so come back later? Great."
-Lane Myer (Definitely not as in Oscar Mayer)

Seems the vendor deal would be well worth it for those interested in selling their goods. So many good references and a large group of people willing to spend their hard earned cash to try those goods. I love purchasing from the vendors here and will continue to do so, I have not been even slightly disappointed yet.

Cheers!

once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right

since im not taking orders publicly i would like to ask that no one use the PM or email system to contact me (about orders ) all other stuff have at it i love talking
BTW i have 3 retailers so im not realy looking for biz im selling evey thing i make

Ditto

Originally Posted by l r harner

since im not taking orders publicly i would like to ask that no one use the PM or email system to contact me (about orders ) all other stuff have at it i love talking
BTW i have 3 retailers so im not realy looking for biz im selling evey thing i make

BTW whats up with the new chalange an dpass for thread answers ?

This applies to me as well. It appears that my PM priviledges etc. have been revoked...can't even view my own profile.

PZ

JUST TO BE CLEAR...I have not used the PM system at anytime to solicite any work what so ever and chose to cancel by hobbyist vendor status due policy changes at KKF.

This is getting dirty. We all saw this complication coming... We're a forum full of tinkerers and skilled craftsmen, and for everyone who ends up getting a sale or bit of work as a result of this forum to be expected to sign up as a craftsman, or vendor is kind of unrealistic. I'm a paying vendor, and I understand that people know that Butch makes knives and that Pablo refurbs them and does beautiful leatherwork, and as a result, they might get some extra contracts, indirectly from this forum. I have no problem with that...we can't exactly expect them to hide their identities, can we?

Sorry, Dave, if this seems inappropriate, but I just feel this is a never-ending battle. I don't want to see us lose great members who can actually contribute some intelligent posts, just because of a few dollars. Many of these guys are already afraid to post anything out of fear of offending someone. I dunno... This sucks.

Spot On

Originally Posted by Lefty

This is getting dirty. We all saw this complication coming... We're a forum full of tinkerers and skilled craftsmen, and for everyone who ends up getting a sale or bit of work as a result of this forum to be expected to sign up as a craftsman, or vendor is kind of unrealistic. I'm a paying vendor, and I understand that people know that Butch makes knives and that Pablo refurbs them and does beautiful leatherwork, and as a result, they might get some extra contracts, indirectly from this forum. I have no problem with that...we can't exactly expect them to hide their identities, can we?

Sorry, Dave, if this seems inappropriate, but I just feel this is a never-ending battle. I don't want to see us lose great members who can actually contribute some intelligent posts, just because of a few dollars. Many of these guys are already afraid to post anything out of fear of offending someone. I dunno... This sucks.

THANK YOU SIR!!!!
Your assessment is spot on. My motive for participating with this forum has always been to learn from and contribute something benefitial to the membership at large.

Let me explain this in more detail. We have a somewhat crazy amount of knifemakers flocking over from the dead world of custom hunter/bowie knifemaking, coming here looking to get into what is the only growth market in the knife business - kitchen knives. The problem isn't that this is happening but it's the volume that is being seen and more importantly the attitudes and actions that we get from these guys that has me reacting the way that I am.

Too many are expecting (and even demanding) to do their thing as they want to, they violate our guidelines (Terms of Use), they argue about this when asked to comply, they send unsolicited PM's to members regarding their wares/services, and when asked to contribute they have every excuse in the book and even deep resentment and insults to share with me. For myself, as the forum owner, having to deal with this constantly (almost every damn day) is more than I can take, more than I'm willing to take any longer.

These people have negatively effected the community. They've caused vendor rates to increase, they've strained me personally, and I'm no longer willing to assess each member on a case by case basis. I'm sick and tired of fighting with these guys and because of this I'm making changes that I wish to avoid but yet find necessary to do.

So from now on if a member is known to be involved in any related business then they have a choice to make - they can either be a restricted member or contribute their fair share as a vendor or hobbyist. I realize that this isn't ideal and will turn some people away. I don't wish to lose a single member over this issue but if we have to lose a member who is causing a strain then I can live with that. I'm sorry to say this but it's the honest truth about how I feel.